The Farah/Rupp finish has been one of my favorite highlights this past week. Not only am I amazed at how that front pack went into an all-out spring at the finish, with Rupp just torching his way to silver and Farah backing off all challengers, but the two men just had such respect and affection for one another as training partners. That plus, the unprecedented-ness of a Brit winning gold and the first American in nearly 50 years to even medal. Good times, good times.
Was a surprising race. I kept thinking "There's a white bloke in the front pack... one lap to go and he's still there! OMG he came second!"
Junior said:
I have absolutely no idea what I'm going to do when the Olympics finish. I've now been shown a world where I can press on the red button and get high definition action from 20 events at the click of the remote. Life will seem like a grey void when this ends.
Every event screened live and watchable on digital tv or online at the click of a button, advert free - license fee paying itself a few times over. Rule Britannia and all that. My days in the office have never been so unproductive (and that's saying a lot).
Michael Johnson and Johnny Mac are great. I know MacEnroe does BBC and NBC, but don't meriman tv use Johnson as well?
If not, they must have some real special other mothers.
Ian Thorpe was good, but a bit too 'I'm so clever' for personal tastes.
Colin Jackson and Denise Lewis - lame.
Cavendish - always on the edge of saying something naughty.
Redgrave and Pinsent - cuddly teddy public schoolboy blandness.
That blond rower dude will be the next Boris Johnson, mark my words.
I met a wimmins hockey ref in Eat just now. Meriwoman. I thanked her for contributing to the Games, we shook hands and I'm still trying to realign knuckles with finger bones.
Every event screened live and watchable on digital tv or online at the click of a button, advert free - license fee paying itself a few times over. Rule Britannia and all that. My days in the office have never been so unproductive (and that's saying a lot).
Yeah the bar has been seriously raised this time roung. Having it all in HD is the cherry on top of the delectable icing on the cake. Hopefully this'll be a sign of things to come so, should I want to watch football on the BBC with 5Live commentary instead of the whispering whine of mullet head Lawrenson, I won't lose that extra crispness by pressing the red button.
What I want to know is where is the home field advantage? Watching the pommel horse yesterday I felt assured that, should it come to a close call, the Brit would be given the decision since surely this is what happens on home turf? Maybe I didn't take into account the wider cultural bias on offer.
Johnson is fantastic and it's be puzzling me for a while why he isn't on American networks. Don't know if there's some deeper reason but the combination of what he's achieved plus his analysis should mean that he was snapped up.
Jackson is like the Ian Wright of athletics analysis.
Mo's celebratory track roll was getting increasingly close to Galen's post-race loogie.
Wife (the most Anal-:ayo:-OCD-Cleanliness-Addict on earth) was screaming "NO! NOOOOO!" as the Mo/Gob interface became a perilously-close reality.
My wife had the same reaction. I think she got even more upset watching the replay.
skel said:
Punditry though.
Michael Johnson and Johnny Mac are great. I know MacEnroe does BBC and NBC, but don't meriman tv use Johnson as well?
If not, they must have some real special other mothers.
We are stuck with Ato Bolden as the color commentator on track, who I seriously cannot stand. Dude doesn't know when to shut up and let the event speak for itself. His accent irks me for some reason as well.
Johnson is fantastic and it's be puzzling me for a while why he isn't on American networks. Don't know if there's some deeper reason but the combination of what he's achieved plus his analysis should mean that he was snapped up.
Jackson is like the Ian Wright of athletics analysis.
Michael Johnson is great. There's a couple of clips of the BBC booth and the commentators going bananas at race results, and after the shouting MJ is straight to his clip-board composing notes from what he's seen while the others are still jumping about - it's the same level of professionalism that made him a champ on the track.
Aside from the gravitas of his acheivements, he's got a cool voice and seems like an absolute dude. F*ck knows how we bagged him.
Colin Jackson is more like Gary Lineker - squeaky clean image and personality, a bit bland, but safe and made for tv.
Speaking of, the gymnastics coverage is going full-on Matrix with it's stop motion, angle-changing replays.
We are stuck with Ato Bolden as the color commentator on track, who I seriously cannot stand. Dude doesn't know when to shut up and let the event speak for itself. His accent irks me for some reason as well.
We saw Bolden's analysis of pre-race antics last night.
Wrapped up in quasi-cod psychology as imagined by a high school try-hard with pretensions to pseudo scientificals.
He was just making up BS.
And you guys have that instead of the sharp insight of a true great like Johnson?
Maybe he has beef with NBC, or is contracted in the US to another network. I can't believe he had to come here to get a gig.
On the other hand, we learned this weekend that Lisa Marie Presley has taken up residence in a rural village outside London and joined the local pub darts team, so maybe southern types like the vibe here.
The SS Brit contingent need to get him out for some lager.
Duder has that BBC connection, and he's half Yankee.. Do it L*o.
By not making calls they allowed the play to get very rough.
When they did make calls they made bad calls both ways.
One of the worse calls gave USA a corner kick, when it should have been a goal kick.
My buddies and I were hoping we did not score on the corner, and we didn't.
The whole game my buddies were screaming that the Canadian keeper was holding the ball too long.
The refs finally heard my buddies (or perhaps it was just too obvious to keep ignoring) and a penalty kick was awarded.
Tough break for Canada fans.
Canada's keeper did start getting the ball in play in a timely manner after that.
Canada needs to send more prospects to UP for training.
Sophie Schmidt and Christine Sinclair are 2 of the best international players.
The rest of Canada's team is kinda ehh. ;-)
No, Canada wouldn't be where there are without Sinclair. She is the heart of the team.
While the goalie might have held onto the ball too long (Hope did as well a couple of times). But ask anyone how many times something is done about it...
Also, I'm no football expert. But even if the ref wanted to do something about it. You give the goalie a yellow card. Not give a free kick at the top of the box.
In any case, whats done is done. The reffing was terrible across the board.
Most impressive on the US side IMO was Megan Rapinoe. Girl is a great player.
I said kinda the same thing to my buddies.
Don't goalies always hold, and don't refs let them get away with it?
I have no idea what the international play rules are. (I have no idea what are the international play rules.)
Megan Rapinoe is awesome.
I saw most every game she and her sister Rachel played at UP, plus all of Sophie Schmidt's and many of Sinclair's.
I was going to start a Rapinoe thread a few weeks ago because she came out at the same time we were talking about Frank Ocean.
You all may have seem some of the Olympics, I have not.
Damn, NBC really needs to get it's act together.
Bolt won the 100 metres.
China is ruling the medal table.
They must be cloud-seeding as it hasn't rained much in London, but severe floods in other parts of the country.
An indirect freekick inside the box was awarded for the goalie holding onto the ball for too long (under 10 seconds)... in itself ridiculous.
The 'mericans promptly blasted the ball into the pack of oncoming Canadians. The ref on seeing that the ludicrous freekick award hadn't produced the desired results pointed to the spot, giving the worst handball related penalty decision seen at Old Trafford since Carrick v Arsenal in 2006. ;)
What is this "overtime"? Injury time or extra time?
Please speak.
Whatever it is, it was a really shit way for the Canadians to lose (although it does set up a grudge match of sorts with the Japanese in the final). I think the commentator said that in 53 matches against the US, Canada had only managed to win 3...
Oh, and when has goalkeeper timewasting been anything other than a yellow card, internationally or domestically?
Oh, and when has goalkeeper timewasting been anything other than a yellow card, internationally or domestically?
Exactly... There were so many shite calls. Some would think since the ref let the handball go in the US box, she would give some advantage to the Canadians to make up for it. But nope, kick at the top of the box because the goalie held on too long? Without a warning or yellow? Suspect.
And then this.
US kicks the ball out and then the ref gives the US a corner? Too many suspect calls. I think the fix was in and the ref was under pressure to put the US in the final to keep the popularity of the sport high in the US.
What is this "overtime"? Injury time or extra time?
Please speak.
Whatever it is, it was a really shit way for the Canadians to lose (although it does set up a grudge match of sorts with the Japanese in the final). I think the commentator said that in 53 matches against the US, Canada had only managed to win 3...
Oh, and when has goalkeeper timewasting been anything other than a yellow card, internationally or domestically?
After 90 minutes 3 3.
after 2 overtimes 3 3.
During extra time US scored.
I think our Canadian friends are being a bit paranoid.
Yes there were bad calls, but Canada had the same chances to score a 4th goal that US did.
Canada had the best player on the field, but USA had the best team.
The Canadian goalie was holding the ball all game, no doubt she had received a verbal warning, not to mention heard the complaints from the US side.
That corner kick call was one of the worst calls ever.
USA did not score on that call, though I'm sure they could have curled it like Rapinoe and scored.
Canada might want to change goalies before playing France.
She cost you much more than refs did.
Comments
Was a surprising race. I kept thinking "There's a white bloke in the front pack... one lap to go and he's still there! OMG he came second!"
Every event screened live and watchable on digital tv or online at the click of a button, advert free - license fee paying itself a few times over. Rule Britannia and all that. My days in the office have never been so unproductive (and that's saying a lot).
Michael Johnson and Johnny Mac are great. I know MacEnroe does BBC and NBC, but don't meriman tv use Johnson as well?
If not, they must have some real special other mothers.
Ian Thorpe was good, but a bit too 'I'm so clever' for personal tastes.
Colin Jackson and Denise Lewis - lame.
Cavendish - always on the edge of saying something naughty.
Redgrave and Pinsent - cuddly teddy public schoolboy blandness.
That blond rower dude will be the next Boris Johnson, mark my words.
I met a wimmins hockey ref in Eat just now. Meriwoman. I thanked her for contributing to the Games, we shook hands and I'm still trying to realign knuckles with finger bones.
Yeah the bar has been seriously raised this time roung. Having it all in HD is the cherry on top of the delectable icing on the cake. Hopefully this'll be a sign of things to come so, should I want to watch football on the BBC with 5Live commentary instead of the whispering whine of mullet head Lawrenson, I won't lose that extra crispness by pressing the red button.
What I want to know is where is the home field advantage? Watching the pommel horse yesterday I felt assured that, should it come to a close call, the Brit would be given the decision since surely this is what happens on home turf? Maybe I didn't take into account the wider cultural bias on offer.
Johnson is fantastic and it's be puzzling me for a while why he isn't on American networks. Don't know if there's some deeper reason but the combination of what he's achieved plus his analysis should mean that he was snapped up.
Jackson is like the Ian Wright of athletics analysis.
My wife had the same reaction. I think she got even more upset watching the replay.
We are stuck with Ato Bolden as the color commentator on track, who I seriously cannot stand. Dude doesn't know when to shut up and let the event speak for itself. His accent irks me for some reason as well.
Michael Johnson is great. There's a couple of clips of the BBC booth and the commentators going bananas at race results, and after the shouting MJ is straight to his clip-board composing notes from what he's seen while the others are still jumping about - it's the same level of professionalism that made him a champ on the track.
Aside from the gravitas of his acheivements, he's got a cool voice and seems like an absolute dude. F*ck knows how we bagged him.
Colin Jackson is more like Gary Lineker - squeaky clean image and personality, a bit bland, but safe and made for tv.
Speaking of, the gymnastics coverage is going full-on Matrix with it's stop motion, angle-changing replays.
USA v Canada in about 2 hours.
3 University of Portland alums will be starting.
We saw Bolden's analysis of pre-race antics last night.
Wrapped up in quasi-cod psychology as imagined by a high school try-hard with pretensions to pseudo scientificals.
He was just making up BS.
And you guys have that instead of the sharp insight of a true great like Johnson?
Maybe he has beef with NBC, or is contracted in the US to another network. I can't believe he had to come here to get a gig.
On the other hand, we learned this weekend that Lisa Marie Presley has taken up residence in a rural village outside London and joined the local pub darts team, so maybe southern types like the vibe here.
The SS Brit contingent need to get him out for some lager.
Duder has that BBC connection, and he's half Yankee.. Do it L*o.
Christine Sinclair 3 goals
Megan Rapinoe 2 goals
equals 5 goals from former UP players.
Sophie Schmidt failed to score.
Rapinoe put an untouched corner kick in for one of her goals.
USA wins (4-3) in the stoppage time after 2nd overtime.
WHOA. That's what i get for skipping this game, assuming it'd be a mild cakewalk.
I'm sorry. But that was some of the worst reffing I've ever seen. I know it will come of bias, but the US should not have won that game.
By not making calls they allowed the play to get very rough.
When they did make calls they made bad calls both ways.
One of the worse calls gave USA a corner kick, when it should have been a goal kick.
My buddies and I were hoping we did not score on the corner, and we didn't.
The whole game my buddies were screaming that the Canadian keeper was holding the ball too long.
The refs finally heard my buddies (or perhaps it was just too obvious to keep ignoring) and a penalty kick was awarded.
Tough break for Canada fans.
Canada's keeper did start getting the ball in play in a timely manner after that.
Canada needs to send more prospects to UP for training.
Sophie Schmidt and Christine Sinclair are 2 of the best international players.
The rest of Canada's team is kinda ehh. ;-)
While the goalie might have held onto the ball too long (Hope did as well a couple of times). But ask anyone how many times something is done about it...
Also, I'm no football expert. But even if the ref wanted to do something about it. You give the goalie a yellow card. Not give a free kick at the top of the box.
In any case, whats done is done. The reffing was terrible across the board.
Most impressive on the US side IMO was Megan Rapinoe. Girl is a great player.
Don't goalies always hold, and don't refs let them get away with it?
I have no idea what the international play rules are. (I have no idea what are the international play rules.)
Megan Rapinoe is awesome.
I saw most every game she and her sister Rachel played at UP, plus all of Sophie Schmidt's and many of Sinclair's.
I was going to start a Rapinoe thread a few weeks ago because she came out at the same time we were talking about Frank Ocean.
;)
Amazing match. Unbalanced officiating. Disappointed Canuck.
I thought Murray/Federer was a lot of fun. Federer played really poorly. Sad to not see Lendl in the stands.
Anyone caught any of the Synchro routines? Anything THIS good?:
then, this happened
The Laws of Association Football state that an Indirect Free Kick should be given - a penalty is a very poor decision.
Damn, NBC really needs to get it's act together.
Bolt won the 100 metres.
China is ruling the medal table.
They must be cloud-seeding as it hasn't rained much in London, but severe floods in other parts of the country.
The 'mericans promptly blasted the ball into the pack of oncoming Canadians. The ref on seeing that the ludicrous freekick award hadn't produced the desired results pointed to the spot, giving the worst handball related penalty decision seen at Old Trafford since Carrick v Arsenal in 2006. ;)
Alex Morgan scoring the winner was somewhat deserved, she played well.
SMH, photoshop!
Please speak.
Whatever it is, it was a really shit way for the Canadians to lose (although it does set up a grudge match of sorts with the Japanese in the final). I think the commentator said that in 53 matches against the US, Canada had only managed to win 3...
Oh, and when has goalkeeper timewasting been anything other than a yellow card, internationally or domestically?
That was good, but could be added to the list of dubious olympic sports that need the chop before we get a Blades Of Glory style men's event.
How did Aussie manage to fall off so badly at this Olympics?
(or as NBC would say, Olymmix)
ROLL ON!!!
Exactly... There were so many shite calls. Some would think since the ref let the handball go in the US box, she would give some advantage to the Canadians to make up for it. But nope, kick at the top of the box because the goalie held on too long? Without a warning or yellow? Suspect.
And then this.
US kicks the ball out and then the ref gives the US a corner? Too many suspect calls. I think the fix was in and the ref was under pressure to put the US in the final to keep the popularity of the sport high in the US.
After 90 minutes 3 3.
after 2 overtimes 3 3.
During extra time US scored.
I think our Canadian friends are being a bit paranoid.
Yes there were bad calls, but Canada had the same chances to score a 4th goal that US did.
Canada had the best player on the field, but USA had the best team.
The Canadian goalie was holding the ball all game, no doubt she had received a verbal warning, not to mention heard the complaints from the US side.
That corner kick call was one of the worst calls ever.
USA did not score on that call, though I'm sure they could have curled it like Rapinoe and scored.
Canada might want to change goalies before playing France.
She cost you much more than refs did.